Artists chosen to represent Scotland in Venice
14/01/2003
The artists chosen to represent Scotland at this year’s Venice Biennale were announced today, [14 January 2003] by Scottish Arts Council and British Council Scotland.
Jim Lambie, Claire Barclay and Simon Starling have been chosen to represent Scotland at the 2003 Venice Biennale, the world’s biggest and most important showcase for contemporary visual arts. All three chosen artists already have established international reputations.
The project, called Zenomap has been initiated by Scottish Arts Council and British Council Scotland. It is the first-ever national presentation of art from Scotland at the Venice Biennale and opens in Venice on 12 June 2003. Alongside the main exhibition, there will be a full programme of artists’ events, screenings, web-based work and a publication, due to be published in late summer.
The initiative is driven by a desire to celebrate Scotland’s distinctive culture and the high quality of art coming out of Scotland. It creates an opportunity to present the work of artists working in Scotland, who over the last decade, have established a strong international reputation – in an international context.
Presenting the project, curators Kay Pallister and Francis McKee, said they had visited hundreds of artists across Scotland – from Orkney to Oban – to ensure that their selection was well informed. Kay said:
“This project presents a great opportunity to raise the profile of Scottish artists in the world, at a time when our arts scene is bursting with talent.”
The exhibition will come to Scotland in 2004, when it will be shown at several venues. This will provide an important opportunity to develop new audiences for contemporary visual arts in Scotland, outside the main cities. An extensive education programme will also support the exhibition. Francis McKee said:
"We’ve chosen a really strong group of artists and have a fantastic chance to commission new work, both for the international audience at Venice and for the audiences back home when the project returns to Scotland."
The Venice Biennale is an important opportunity to promote Scotland's visual artists on the world stage, where during five months, artists from over 65 countries are presented in national pavilions in the Biennale gardens and in a wide variety of exhibition venues across Venice. The 2003 Venice Biennale is directed by Francesco Bonami (see note 5).
This major initiative has come about thanks to close and collaborative working between Scottish Arts Council and British Council Scotland to promote Scotland’s talent overseas. It has been planned for some years and acknowledges the international interest shown over recent years in contemporary art from Scotland.
This much-awaited exhibition will complement the established British Pavilion, this year showing the work of Chris Ofili. Alongside Scotland, Wales will this year also host its first independent presentation.
The exhibition will take place in a typically Venetian context: the Palazzo Giustinian-Lolin, which is situated in a prime location, facing the Grand Canal and opposite the Accademia, right in the heart of Venice.
Notes to editors
- Zenomap is the first national presentation of art from Scotland at the Venice Biennale. The Zenomap title refers to the story of the Scottish Adventurer, Henry Sinclair. Born in Scotland in about 1345 Henry Sinclair became Earl of Rosslyn as well as Prince of Orkney, Duke of Oldenburg (Denmark), and Premier Earl of Norway. In 1398 he led an expedition to explore the new world, 90 years before Columbus discovered America. He engaged two cartographers and navigators; Venetian brothers called Antonio and Nicola Zeno, and travelled from Orkney in 1398 mapping the territories now known as Nova Scotia and Massachusetts. This Zeno Map proved to be the most accurate map in existence for the next 150 years.
- The Scottish Arts Council (www.scottisharts.org.uk) champions and sustains the arts for Scotland, investing £56 million from Scottish Executive and National Lottery funding to support and develop artistic excellence and creativity throughout Scotland.
- The British Council (www.britishcouncil.org) connects people worldwide with learning opportunities and creative ideas from the UK and builds lasting relationships between the UK and other countries. It has offices in 109 countries, 7,300 staff and a turnover of £430 million. In Scotland the British Council offers its partners a gateway to its global networks and provides its audiences worldwide with a window on Scotland. British Council initiates and organizes showcases in Scotland (Showcase Scotland, Celtic Connections; Theatre Showcase, every 2 years during the International Fringe Festival; Bookcase during the Edinburgh International Book Festival).
- Glasgow School of Art has hosted the Zenomap office since its inception and continues to support the project.
- Francesco Bonami (1955, Florence) is overall Director of this year's Biennale, which is entitled 'Dreams and Conflicts, the viewer's dictatorship'. In addition to the national contribution by each participating country, Bonami will be responsible for the international exhibition in the Italian Pavilion in the Giardini di Castello and in the Arsenale, where he will be assisted by a series of co-curators. Bonami is currently Manilow Curator at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art.
Contact email(s)
media.office@scottisharts.org.uk
Issued by: Scottish Arts Council
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